Riven

Riven of a Thousand Voices
Biographical information
Other name(s):	The Last Ahamkara The Dreamer
Species:	Ahamkara
Faction:	The Reef (formerly) Blood of Oryx Savathûn's Brood (allied)
Rank:	Ultra
Class:	Taken Ahamkara
Gender:	Female
Height:	Ever changing
Combat information
Mission:	Last Wish Nothing Left to Say
Abilities:	Blistering Soulfire Axion Darts Tentacle Quake Riven's Gaze Corrosive Aura Metaphysical Bleed Ascendant Atrophy Fate's Chosen Creeping Darkness Collapsing Reality High Durability Summon Taken

“

Most of those who bargain with me do not win, O murderer mine.

”

Riven of a Thousand Voices was originally considered the last living Ahamkara after the Great Ahamkara Hunt, prior to the discovery of an uncorrupted clutch of her eggs; having formerly served Mara Sov and the Awoken as their greatest kept secret. She was instrumental in the creation of the Dreaming City and Eleusinia until the Taken War, during which she was Taken by Oryx, the Taken King prior to his death and later then conspired with his sister: Savathûn, the Witch-Queen.

Now corrupting the city from its heart, the Keep of Voices, the Taken Ahamkara became the underlying main antagonist of the Forsaken expansion. Riven would play a prominent role behind the creation of the Scorn and worked her way into Uldren Sov's mind like a parasite, impersonating his sister and deceiving him into unsealing the Dreaming City in an attempt to free her from its prison.

Riven serves as the final boss of the Last Wish Raid when Guardians would storm the Keep and slay her at the behest of Queen Mara and Petra Venj. This however, served as a ploy to draw the attention of the Guardians for them to end her Taken curse by killing her. Despite her physical death, her consciousness continued to persist and granted the Guardians one final wish: using her wish magic to curse the Dreaming City in a three-week long temporal loop.

Biography

Accompanying the Queen

"We built those walls, you and I. Such elegant spires. A beautiful prison."

— Riven

Riven was young during the earliest days of the Reef. When she encountered Uldren Sov, who was on a mission to find a power that would allow Mara Sov to build an impregnable Awoken city, she was drawn to his unfulfilled ambitions and allowed him to present her to Mara Sov. The Ahamkara took the name Riven, in honor of her host. Through the years, she grew and accompanied Mara Sov in her ventures, becoming one of the most significant members of her entourage. Riven's wish-granting faculty played a key role in the construction of the Dreaming City. However, Mara remained wary of Riven's fundamental untrustworthiness and appetite as an Ahamkara. Mara constructed a Wall of Wishes to make bargaining with Riven safer, and made sure to keep her away from Uldren and other potential sources of trouble. Indeed, Riven's work on the Dreaming City included small but deliberate flaws that would make it vulnerable to attack. She would also construct her own lair hidden away from the Awoken.

Upon spotting the Ahamkara known as Taranis around the Spine of Keres, she would pin him to the ground and question him about his presence within her territory. Despite this prejudgment, Riven would decide to give him a tour around the Dreaming City. After some time bonding together at the Divalian Mists, Taranis discovers Gwilym, who wishes for sesame pastries soaked in honey. After Taranis grants Gwilym's wish, he holds out his hand in thanks and is startled when Taranis grows out a thumb to grasp it.

When Taranis climbs back up to the cliff she expresses her astonishment at how small he is due to his refusal to grasp for more. Taranis would claim that it was enough for his nourishment, to which Riven called foolish, something he acknowledged. Following them bonding for some time, Taranis would invite her to his lair within the Black Garden, to which she agreed. When they arrive at his nest it is decided that if he won't let himself grow they will make something that will. Together they form a bridge that each others lairs and produce Whims, with her as the sire, and Taranis as the dam.

However their prosperity would not come to last as the Great Ahamkara Hunt was enacted by the Vanguard, with the Reef assisting them. To keep Riven contained, Mara would wish for her to be trapped inside the keep at the heart of the city. Desiring to keep her mate safe, she would warn Taranis about the Hunt and order him to stay within his nest. However believing he could reason with them, Taranis returns to the city, much to Riven's dismay as she roars from her cage. After surviving an encounter with a Corsair, Taranis returns to his lair, telling her she was right. Due to their separation, they would whisper to each other from across space, eventually becoming the last of their kind. Riven would remain in the keep for the rest of her life, though the Queen visited her regularly to make bargains.

Taken by the King

Riven being Taken by Oryx

"Before me stands a [King]. He offers to take me away. But I know he will not let me leave, either. An unfavorable position. I never made a [bargain] with a [King]. I would like to try it. I tell him to take whatever he [wishes]. As long as he [wishes]."

— Riven's thoughts while bargaining with Oryx

Shortly after the Battle of Saturn, the Darkness from Oryx's Dreadnaught Took the Techeuns from the battle, and the Taken invaded the Dreaming City, which was inadvertently revealed, en masse. At the Keep where Riven was kept, Oryx offered to Take Riven away, although she knew that Oryx would not let her leave the Dreaming City. Nonetheless, Riven, eager to try bargaining with a king, told Oryx to take whatever he wished, as long as he 'wished' it. Riven and Oryx both knew they were attempting to deceive each other and began laughing together at the irony of their scenario. Following this, Riven's identity seemed to merge with Oryx's will, being simultaneously the Taken King and Riven. When Oryx was defeated by The Guardian, Riven felt the Taken King's despair at not being able to avenge his son Crota. Although her will was partly restored, Riven reflected that she was still trapped within the Dreaming City and could not escape, while also having no one within the City to talk to as the Techeuns, despite also being Taken, did not have free will as she did.

Witch's Bargain

"I can tell this is not a part of her grand design. This is an introduction. She is at play.
Through our new bond, I glimpse her intention.
And I hope she remains at play."

— Riven

Years after Oryx's defeat, Savathûn, the Witch-Queen infiltrated the Dreaming City and revealed herself to Riven. Without a Taken King, the Taken Riven was directionless, and asked Savathûn to "take up those strings." After this was done, Riven's Taken directive changed again. She became capable of exerting her influence outside the Dreaming City, and through her bond with Savathûn caught a glimpse into her plans. What Riven saw unsettled her.

At this point, Riven made contact with Uldren at the Tangled Shore, taking advantage of his overwhelming desire to hear from Mara again. She granted his wish by masquerading as Mara in his thoughts, and in that guise began manipulating him into eventually freeing her from the Dreaming City. Her influence also quickened the infection of Darkness within him.

Riven is ultimately responsible for the creation of the Scorn: when Uldren wished he had the power to save the mortally wounded Fikrul, Riven granted his wish by transmitting some of the Darkness in his body into the Archon's Ether, transmuting it into Dark Ether and reanimating Fikrul as the first Scorn.

Forsaken

"Ah, I've waited so long to fulfill one last wish..."

— Siren of Riven

Ultimately, thanks to the actions of Uldren Sov, the gateway into the Dreaming City became unsealed, allowing Riven the chance to unleash a Taken Chimera to devour Uldren. Though the Guardians and Reef agents ended Uldren and destroyed Riven's agent, the Voice of Riven, Riven herself remained a threat that the Awoken knew had to be dealt with immediately, especially since she was now Taken. Pleading the Vanguard and Guardians for aid, the Awoken succeed in gaining the support they need to launch an assault upon the heart of the corrupted Dreaming City and end the Taken Ahamkara.

A Guardian Raid team was formed and breached into the Keep of Voices at the heart of the city, the Guardians battle two of the Taken-corrupted Techeuns: Kalli and Shuro Chi. Not only were they successful in defeating the Taken Techeuns but were able to actually free them from the Taken's influence. Gaining their aid, the Guardians finally confront and battle with Riven. The battle takes them between the physical and Ascendant planes but they were able to mortally wound Riven. Ensuring that the Ahamkara never becomes a threat again, the Guardians enter the Ahamkara herself and destroy the Blight surrounding her heart, taking the relic back to the Queen's Techeuns to finish cleansing it of the Taken corruption.

This was, however, exactly what Riven wanted. As an Ahamkara, Riven was able to transcend death in order to grant one last wish made by the Guardians' collective wish to save the city: Altering the rules of ascendancy within the Dreaming City as the realm became cursed partially into the Ascendant Plane and trapped in a three-week time loop actualized by the Taken Quria, Blade Transform. Even after death, Riven was freed from her prison and her soul became tied to her killers as her Siren would continue to whisper at them, specifically when they reach Mara Sov's former throne world, Eleusinia.

One Final Wish

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"Such a long slumber. Such a rude awakening. Grant the Witch Queen's final wish, you say? I... refuse."

— Riven upon awakening.

Years after Riven's corporeal death, which freed her from her Taken curse, the Guardians and the Vanguard Coalition, following various conflicts and unnerving revelations, would be forced to raise the Last Ahamkara's spirit so she can perform the 15th wish, the "one we would cherish" as she once spoke, which turned out to be the Witch Queen's wish before her demise and being made a Lightbearer. Using the Wall of Wishes once more and Queen Mara's Techuens performing a spell to awaken Riven's spirit with her heart, the Guardians and Mara ask for the Wish for a new pathway. Riven's spirit, though diminished yet still strong enough to perform one more wish, awakens as planned but to the Awoken Queen's surprise and frustration, the Ahamkara refuses to grant them their wish. In a private conversation with Mara, Riven states she has no reason to grant it as she is dead along with the rest of her kind. Riven recounts how it wasn't enough for the Awoken Queen to send the Guardians to slay her, but also have her forces destroy her eggs. Or so Mara thought, as one was found within Savathûn's Spire. Riven admits that she hid some of her eggs within the bowels of her lair to protect them from Mara's wrath and if she were to ensure their safety, then the Ahamkara would perform the final wish. Despite the risk of allowing the Ahamkara species to thrive and terrorize the Sol System once again yet desperate for the means to follow The Witness, the Awoken Queen agrees to Riven's bargain.

Riven's spirit bargains with Queen Mara.

Though the bargain angers many, Petra Venj and Crow among them, Mara believes there is little choice and thus instructs the Guardians to descend into Riven's Lair to find her clutch of eggs, slaying Sol Divisive Vex and rampant Taken throughout the way. However, after reaching the end and opening the vault, they find it empty, angering Riven. Mara voices her innocence before ordering Petra and her Techuens to find out what happened. In time, Petra uncovers that somehow, Riven's eggs were cast into the Ascendant Plane, leaving them to orbit the material plane like comets to a sun. However, Petra believes that they can employ the same strategy of using the Ley Lines in the Dreaming City to "catch" them, similar to how the Queen's Techuens were lost in the Ascendant Plane. The plan succeeds in catching one egg, bringing it to a secure location before the Vex could capture or destroy it themselves. During the whole mission, Riven continually taunts the group alongside thinly veiled threats to them should her clutch of eggs come to harm, promising they will get nothing from her if such an event occurs.

Riven would continue to observe the Guardians as they acquire the second egg before the Taken could capture or corrupt it. Before then, Riven voiced her distrust of Mara Sov to the Guardian, even going as far as to state that the Awoken Queen was "no different to an Ahamkara", as she offers riches and rewards but requires something in return. Even so, Riven continues to taunt her Awoken handlers, going so far as to use Shaxx's voice to send a message to Mara before threatening to use the voice of someone more intimate with her, much to the Awoken Queen's anger.

Later, Riven would target her taunts and mocking towards Crow as he works with Petra, Mara and the Guardian in modifying the Oracle Engine within the Dreaming City to help them guide Riven's clutch towards them. Crow tries to ignore Riven as much as possible but her words but he nonetheless becomes angered by the fact that they have to work with the Ahamkara that played a large part in his fall from grace and eventual death. Fortunately, Mara and Petra convince Crow to stay the course as the Guardian succeeds in acquiring another egg. Riven would later actually confide with the Guardian on the natures of humans and Ahamkara, wondering about the possibility that more of the Ahamkara could have survived the Great Hunt had they acted more "human" but sadly concluded that such a bargain was simply not part of their nature.

As the Guardians make progress in gathering the eggs, Riven wonders how her clutch was even set adrift in the Ascendant Plane before concluding that only a wish could have made such a thing possible. During a mission to gain an egg before the Sol Divisive do, the Guardians arrive too late just as the Vex teleport it to the Black Garden, enraging Riven. Desperate to save her egg, Riven reveals a secret path into the Black Garden, giving them a chance to save the egg. After battling scores of Vex, the Guardians succeed in rescuing the egg but further investigation in the area reveals Wish energy that doesn't belong to Riven before finding the fossilized remains of an Ahamkara. Riven reveals, in sadness, that they belong to her mate: Taranis. Begging Crow to allow Taranis to speak through him, to which he reluctantly agrees, letting Riven have one last moment with her mate. With this, Riven and the others figure out that it was Taranis who sent their brood into the Ascendant Plane, fearing for their safety following Riven's bargain with Oryx as they were beginning to show signs of being corrupted. However, making such a wish on their own is detrimental for an Ahamkara, as it requires their own energy to complete it. In the end, Taranis sacrificed himself to preserve his and Riven's children. Riven is despondent at the loss of her mate but understands his reasons as it was his nature to be humble and stay true to the intent of the wishes he granted, a peculiar trait that originally drew her to him. To honor her mate, Riven allows the Guardian to wield the Wish-Keeper Bow that was found in Taranis's remains, so it can aid them in rescuing their clutch.

Nearing the end of collecting the rest of the eggs, Riven reveals a final detail in Savathûn's Wish to the Guardian, Mara and Osiris: Riven would be able to adjust the Ley Lines to open a path in the Gateway on the Traveler but allow only one individual to pass. This revelation infuriates the Awoken Queen, enough to nearly strike at Riven's spiritual form but is restrained by Osiris using Strand. The former Warlock states that despite this unfortunate new detail, it was still their only chance to follow the Witness and stop its plans to enact the Final Shape. Further, Osiris, after having an epiphany regarding this new information with his knowledge of the Veil, one person getting past the gateway would be all that they would need to "open the door" for the rest. With this knowledge, Crow volunteers to be the one to pass through the gateway in the Guardian's place, as his unique connection with Mara would allow them to know that Crow had made it through and could guide the rest.

Despite the hurdles Riven's revelation had made, the Guardians continued gathering the last of the eggs but the second to last of them was on the verge of being claimed by the Taken. Racing through Riven's Lair, the Guardians managed to slay the Taken leading the assault, revealing their connection to Xivu Arath, but discover too late that the egg had already been corrupted by Taken energies. Wailing in sadness at the fate one of her clutch will have to endure, Riven threatened to go back on their bargain but Mara managed to quell Riven's fury, stating they have a method to reverse the corruption. Skeptical, Riven nonetheless allows them a chance to save her egg. The Guardian and Mara ultimately come through in saving the corrupted egg by using a manner similar to how they saved her Techuen Coven from Taken Corruption, bringing relief to Riven.

After the Guardian collected the last egg before the Scorn could claim it, Mara, Petra, Crow and the Guardian made the final preparations for the 15th Wish. Returning to the Wall of Wishes once again, the Guardian enacts the final wish for Riven to grant, creating a portal for Crow to pass through. With the wish complete, Riven's essence became spent and begins to slowly fade away. She bids farewell to Mara who has taken responsibility for the Great Hunt by deciding to look after Riven's Clutch as they grow. However, when Crow finally arrived within the Pale Heart, Riven's last wish had one final twist. As Crow took the plunge through the portal, he thought about Cayde-6 staring up at him without a Ghost or Light, fearlessly aiming his gun at him. As a result, Riven's wish brought Cayde back to life as a construct of pure Light energy.

Personality and traits

As an Ahamkara, Riven is calculating and fundamentally self-interested. She is extremely adept at wish-magic, having been the architect of the Dreaming City itself. She enjoys riddles and bargains, and has no issue manipulating the wishes and desires of others to serve herself, even those of the Queen, who was her confidant for centuries. Riven is more placid than most Ahamkara, however, and initially stayed with the Awoken despite the rich hunting in the inner system because she enjoyed basking in the "heat" of Mara's self-realization.

Riven is capable of mimicking the voices of others, perhaps earning her epithet "Of A Thousand Voices". During her corruption of Uldren, after being Taken, she showed the ability to invade his thoughts and project the image of Mara into his surroundings.

Like the rest of her kind, Riven is a shapeshifter and typically adopts reptilian or dragon-like forms. After becoming Taken and corrupting the Dreaming City, she confronted the Guardian as a gigantic clawed and tentacled serpentine beast, with a head covered in numerous eyes, protected by folding bone plates that act as secondary jaws.

Riven has retained her free will even after being Taken. At one point, she held complete dominion over the Taken in the Dreaming City, with powerful Taken such as Morgeth and the Taken Techeun witches at her command.

Quotes

Last Wish

"You are finally here. Brother slayer. Spawn killer. All that strength and you're still nothing but a retainer to the Awoken Queen. You could be so much more... all you need do is wish it. Come. I would quite like to meet you."

— Siren of Riven, at the start of the raid.

"Have you come to free the Witches? They will resist. Darkness is their shape, now."

— Siren of Riven, before facing Kalli, the Corrupted

"I can give you anything. What is it you want? Weapons? Glory? Peace? Or is it simpler than that?"

— Siren of Riven, after defeating Kalli, the Corrupted.

"Oh ho ho. You are so tiny. Yet you continue to make enemies of so many gods and monsters. You want battle? I'll give you war!"

— Siren of Riven, when starting the encounter for Shuro Chi, the Corrupted.

"You sully the sacred architecture of a culture you cannot understand. All so you can say you won today. Could that be what you're driving toward? Do you have the audacity to wish for my death? Perhaps, you and I can work together."

— Siren of Riven, after defeating Shuro Chi, the Corrupted.

"The Awoken kept me here so long. A better fate than my kin suffered. But paradise is a prison when you cannot leave. I would so love to repay the hospitality of those who used my words to carve this city into the screaming surface of reality."

— Siren of Riven, before entering the Ascendant Plane.

"There is no end to the Taken. You have stolen from them more than they could ever take from you. You are destined to fight forever."

— Siren of Riven, before facing Morgeth, the Spirekeeper

"You don't hesitate to reach into the Deep. Your kind is so brave. Those with conviction pair best with my kind. Like you. Like the Awoken prince. Shall we be friends?"

— Siren of Riven, after defeating Morgeth, the Spirekeeper.

"You're so close, friend. Find me. Kill me. My heart is yours."

— Siren of Riven, before starting the vault encounter.

"Ah, I've waited so long to fulfill one last wish..."

— Siren of Riven, after defeating Riven

"Ugh, I thought they'd never leave. You and I are not done. We're inseparable now. Through your actions, we've forged an age-old bond between my kind and yours. One wish granted deserves another. And I cannot wait to show you what SHE asked for. O murderer mine..."

— Siren of Riven, after completing the raid.

Trivia

• Though she is Taken, Riven is the first Ahamkara ever encountered in the Destiny series.
• Due to the complex rituals needed to simply harm Riven without dying, it may be possible that Riven is one of the strongest Ahamkara that existed compared to the other Ahamkara who were hunted like normal, albeit powerful, beasts.
• Riven is the third known Taken entity that retains a sense of free will and independent thought, the first two being Quria and Malok, and is the second that the Guardians actually fight.
• Riven is the first female final Raid boss.
• Riven's epithet, "of a Thousand Voices," is reminiscent of that of the Worm God Xol, the "Will of the Thousands". It is unknown what significance this similarity has, if there are any.
  • However, it's possible it signifies the Voice of Riven or the Siren of Riven.
• Riven is believed to be the second largest Raid boss in Destiny history, surpassing Argos, Planetary Core and Oryx, the Taken King. She is eclipsed only by The Witness.
• Despite her eventual enormous size, whether due to her shapeshifting ability or simply her young age at the time, Riven was once small enough to curl around Mara Sov's neck like a pet.
• The soundtrack Shell of What Was is played during the Heart of Riven encounter, but also during the fight with The Mad Warden. The reason for this might be that both the dead Riven and the Warden have been killed and hollowed, and that their bodies are merely empty shells of something that once "was".
• "Riven" is the past participle for the verb rive, meaning to tear, split or harrow. Riven took this name in honor of Mara Sov, in reference to her nature as a being split between Light and Darkness.
• After you destroy Riven's physical body and go outside you can hear her "breathing".
• Riven is one of, if not the only enemy to be seen bleeding.
• Contrary to popular belief, Riven is still dead even by the time the Dawning Celebration begins and not related to the time loop. The Thousand Voices Cookie in a way is to simply obtain more loot.
• Riven, possibly save Val Ca'uor , the final boss of the Spire of Stars Raid Lair, is considered the most difficult encounter in a Raid to date, which is why most raid teams prefer to skip her mechanics.
• A glitch existed for a while during Forsaken where Rocket Launchers with the perk Cluster Bombs did a massive amount of damage to Riven when shot into her mouth.

Gallery

• 

  Riven during phase 1 of her encounter.

• 

  Riven facing Guardians in a cutscene.

• 

  Riven revealed during the Raid.

• 

  Riven's dead physical body.

List of appearances

• Destiny 2
  • Forsaken (First appearance)
  • Season of Opulence (Mentioned only)
  • Season of Dawn (Mentioned only)
  • Season of the Lost (Mentioned only)
  • The Witch Queen (Mentioned only)
  • Season of Plunder (Mentioned only)
  • Season of the Witch (Mentioned only)
  • Season of the Wish
  • Into the Light (Non-canon appearance)
  • Episode: Echoes (Mentioned only)